INDIA
Party insiders add the Congress leadership is attempting to work out a win-all situation where the appointment of the chief minister, and perhaps his deputies, does not disturb a precarious caste and regional balance.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, the Congress central establishment on Friday continued to mull over possible names for the post of Chief Minister for Chhattisgarh.
Indications suggest the delay in naming the chief minister is caused by the desire of the Congress to build consensus amongst various contenders and also to nominate a leader who could boost party performance in the looming Lok Sabha elections.
While the primary battle for the position, according to Congress sources, is between state chief Bhupesh Baghel and former leader of opposition TS Singh Deo, former union minister Charan Das Mahant and Durg parliamentarian Tamradhwaj Sahu are also reported to be in the race.
Party insiders add the Congress leadership is attempting to work out a win-all situation where the appointment of the chief minister, and perhaps his deputies, does not disturb a precarious caste and regional balance.
Arguably Baghel is the most deserving of the four candidates, as the OBC leader has put in tremendous efforts to resurrect the dwindling electoral fortunes of the Congress since taking over as PCC chief after the party was all but decimated in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, said a keen Congress watcher in Raipur.
Though most in the state subscribe to the analysis in terms of substance, others contend Baghel’s style of functioning could prove to be contrary to the Congress cause.
The articulate scion of the royal house of Surguja and incidentally the richest legislator in the state assembly, TS Singh Deo, is known for his unassuming ways. His efficient countering of the Raman Singh government in the assembly makes him a strong contender for the position.
Divided over the matter along caste lines, one section of people says Singh Deo’s upper caste background may not help party-posturing in this backward state, especially as Raman Singh was also an upper caste, others say his accession to the chair will help sway ‘decisive’ Thakur-Brahmin votes in favour of the Congress.
Regarded outsiders in the contest, the names of Mahant and Sahu also elicit mixed responses from people in the state.
Mahant, a former working president of the PCC, was first elected as a legislator in undivided Madhya Pradesh in 1980 before being elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1998. He has also served two stints as MoS for Food Processing Industries.
Sahu’s rise to political prominence came when he emerged as the only victorious Congress candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The victory was attributed to his undeniable support among the state’s substantial OBC Sahu voters. Drafted to the state in the run-up to the assembly elections Sahu ran successfully for Durg (Rural) seat.
Some analysts say the resurgence of the unpredictable Ajit Jogi will also weigh heavy on the minds of party leaders as they continue with deliberations to find the most suitable man for the top job.
They predict the task for the chief minister will not be easy as populist poll promises may burden the state exchequer; a prospect not known to go down well with middle-class voters. But then, that is the nature of the beast.
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